The saga of an unwanted trade highlights the complicated balancing act between the National Women’s Soccer League and the US national team

Christen Press is one of the world’s best footballers: she has a nose for goal and the skill to take on defenders. So how did she end up at a club she refuses to play for?

The situation seemed typical at first: the Houston Dash acquired her from the Chicago Red Stars in a trade involving Carli Lloyd, the sort of swap that happens all the time in American sports. But it quickly emerged something was amiss. She did not acknowledge the trade on social media and the Dash didn’t immediately make her the face of the club.